Knitting machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- -Sheet I.

I. W. LAMB.

KNITTING MACHINE. No, 309,471. Patented Dec 16, L884.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSh.ee t 2;

I. W. LAMB.

KNITTING MACHINE.

' No. 309,471, Patented Dec. 16, 18 84."

N. PETERS. PlwXo-Ulhagmplmr. Washington. DV 0,

Unrrnn Snares PATENT tries.

ISAAC IV. LAMB, OF PARSHALLVILLE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALFRED C. COWVHERD, OF SAME PLACE.

KNITTING SPECIFIGATIO Application filed September 27, 1882.

' No. 150,630; in Belgium August 16, 1882, No. .58,

T ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IsAilc W. LAMB, acitizen of the United States, residing at Parshallville, in the county of Livingston and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to that class of knitting'machines in which the needles are placed to in two rows opposite each other in planes at angles of about forty-five degrees with the horizon; and its object is to economize the construction and to increase the facility of operating the machine.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a knitting-machine, hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a detail view of the several parts forming one section of the bed and the parts appertaining to the same. Fig. 2 showstwo views of a spacing-piece, one being in perspective and the other in longitudinal section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a trans verse vertical section of a portion of a knitting-machine accordingto my invention. Fig. Al is a plan View of a portion of one of the needle-retaining plates. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the right-hand end of the machine. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the needle-plate, partly broken away, parts of a needle-retaining plate, and a few bed-sections. Fig. 7 is a front view of the lever for operating the rock-shaft S. Fig. 8 shows a modification of rod j in two views. The upper view shows the rod j in position to hold the shifter Zin place, while thelower view shows the same rod inverted to permit the shifter to be withdrawn beneath bar I The frame, of the machine consists of the two vertical end pieces A, joined by the hori zontal angle-iron or joining-bar WV in one casting. The end pieces are notched to fit upon the edge of a table, and are provided with 4 5 thumb-screws A, by which the whole machine may be clamped and held upon the table while in use. 1

Y represents, a ledge projecting inward from each end piece A, parallel with the upper (No model.) Patented in England August 10, 1882,

MACHINE.

N forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,4:71, dated December .16, 1884.

No. 3,826,- in France AugustJ4, 1882,

777, and in Canada November-14, 1882, No. 18,079..

[edges thereof, to serve as ways up on which the 1,.

needle-plates B B may rest and slide. The plates B and 13 each comprise two end pieces 13 and two binding-rods, t, which are firmly secured at their ends in the pieces B, either or by being screwed into them, as at q, or by means of screw-nuts K on the ends of the said rods entering counterbores in the pieces B.

I prefer, as a matter of convenience, to have one end at least of each rod secured by the nuts K. The bed-sections a each comprise three plates, Z20 d, of similar form and size, riveted together to form a single piece, (see rivet-holes at I), Fig. 1.) These bed'sections are strung upon rods i, which enter the holes 2 and 3, fitting neatly therein. Each bed-section is separated from the adjacent one by means of a top spacing-piece, c, and a bottom spacing-piece, 71., thus forming the groovesin the needle-plates B B in which the needles 1 play. The piece It is strung upon the rods i, and the piece c is secured to one side of each section a by means of lugs c on the spacingpiece, adapted to fit closely in a hole, 6, in plate (I or I), as may be preferred.

f represents the jack, which is secured to each bed-section by being fitted closely in the aperture 0 in plate C. By this construction the jacks may be easily removed and replaced when worn. XVere it not for the apertures 0 and c, each bed-section might as well be made of one solid piece, as the plates 7), c, and d are in other respects alike.

Z represents the shifters, one of which 1s placed in each groove beneath the needle, to form the bed'thereof, and to be set to throw each needle into or out of work independently of the others.

j, r, and r are shifter-supporting rods removably held by the needle-plate end pieces B".

l is the needle-retaining plate, held by the pieces B above the bodies of the needles P. This plate may be withdrawn endwise through a hole in the end piece A, to permit the needles to be taken up out of their grooves. The 5 needles are actuated in the manner usual to the Lamb knitting-machine,'as shown in my Patent No. 39, 934, each needle bein provided by being pinned into the end pieces, as at q, 55,

with a bent heel, P, to rise above the bedsections, to be engaged by the reciprocating cam. (Not shown.) The shifter I has project ing from its lower side a lug, Z; provided with a projection, 1, adapted to engage and rest upon either one of two rods, 1 and T', which are secured in the end pieces B.

O is a spring supported on a rod, and acting against the lug Z, to force it toward the rods r and 1, whereby the projection r is kept in engagement with oneor the other of the said rods. The plate B, Fig. 3, is the front platethat is, on the front side of the machine-and B is the rear plate. The plate B is shown with the shifter l in its lower po sition, the needle being thereby thrown out of engagement with the driving-cams. At the same time the needles are pressed down upon the shifters by the plate P. The rod L7 is situated nearly opposite to the upper edge of plate P, in order that the needles and shifters supported on the said rod may have free vertieal movement at their lower ends. By pushing the shifter Z upward its projection r will be disengaged from the rods r and r, and may be set above either rod. Any one or more of the shifters may be removed by first placing them all in their lower position, then withdrawing rod 1*, and then raising the lug 1 over rod r and withdrawing the shifter. Any number of needles may be removed after with drawing the plate 1?; or any needle may be removed by first removing its shifter, and then drawing the needle endwise out of its slot, or

by making the machine with a larger rod j, flattened on one side, (see Fig. 8,) the round side to hold the shifters in their usual place, and the flat side to be turned up to allow the shifters to drop enough to permit the needlehooks to be withdrawn beneath the plate 1; or the rod j may be drawn out of the plates B through the hole j in the end piece A, allowing the upper end of the shifter to drop onto the spacing-piece h, the lower end of the shifter being in its lower position, when the needle, may be withdrawn endwise beneath piece 0.

To facilitate picking up work onto the needles, I provide-means to slide either or both plates B and B, with all their contents, down the inclined ledges Y, away from each other, whereby sufficient space is left between the jacks f to do any preparing of work that may be required.

To this end 90 represents toothed racks on the under side of. each end piece B, either attached thereto or cut therein.

B and It represent segments of gear-wheels engaging each other and engaging the racks x. The segments R are mounted on studs R, secured in the end pieces A. The segments Bare fixed on a rock-shaft, S-one at each end thereof-which is j ournaled in the end pieces A, and provided with a hand-lever, L, by

which the shaft may be rocked and the plates B and Bsimultaneously separated or brought up to place, all the time keeping parallel to each other.

e is a pin engaging the lever L, with a hole in the end piece A, to maintain the plates B and B in working position.

11 is a hole to receive pin 1), to hold the plates separated.

e is a latch pivoted to lever L, and provided with a spring'to operate the pin 12.

Z represents two bars, each attached to the two ends A, and extending from one to the other on top of the bed-sections.- When the plates B and B are separated, they take the needles apart until the heels 1 of the needles strikethe bars Z, when the needles will be retained thereby, while the plates B B, continuing to recede, draw the jacks back of the needle-hooks, leaving them, as shown in Fig. 5, convenient for manipulating the stitches thereon. The bars Z also serve to keep the plates B B down upon their slideways Y. A check-pin, c, in the end piece A limits the motion of lever L. By leaving off the gearsegments R the plate B might be made as a fixture to the body A \V, leaving the plate B to move as previously described; or by leaving off the segments B and journaling the shaft S in the frame, in place of the studs R, and mounting the segments R on said shaft, the rear plate, B, might be made stationary, and the front plate, B, adapted for independent motion.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the stationary frame consisting of the end pieces A and the joining part V, and the needle-plates B B, fitted to slide therein, and provided with racks X, of the rock-shaft S, journaled in the frame, the toothed segments It and It, engaging the said racks, and means for rocking said shaft, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the frame comprising the ends A, provided with pin-holes and joining-piece V, the needle-plate B, fitted to slide therein, and the racks X on said plate, of the rock-shaft S, journaled in the frame, the toothed segments It B, engaging the said racks, the lever L, secured to said shaft, the latch Z, pivoted on the lever, and the pin 2), hung to the latch and adapted to engage with the said pinholes, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the stationary frame described, the needle-plates B and B, fitted to slide tl'ierein, and the racks X on the said plates, of the rock-shaft S, journaled in the frame, and means for rocking and fixing the same, the toothed segments B on said shaft, adapted to engage the racks of plate B, and the toothed segments It, journaled on studs B, secured to the end pieces A, adapted to engage the segments It and the racks X on plate B, as shown and described.

4. The combination, wit-h the stationary frame having the end pieces A, described, and the needle-plates B B, fitted to slide therelUJ in, of the bars Z, secured to the pieces A of the said frame, fitting upon the plates B B to keep them in place, as described.

5. The combination. with the stationary frame having the stationary end pieces A, described, the needle-plates B B, and means for sliding them in the end pieces A, and the needles 1?, fitted to slidein grooves in the said plates, and provided with heels 1, of the bars Z, secured to the pieces A of said frame in the path of the said shanks when the plates are being separated, as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, with the grooved needle-plates B B, and the shifters Z, fitted to said grooves, and having the lugs Z, provided with projections 1-, of the rods r and r, and the end pieces B of the said plates B B, and the springs O, for the purpose specified.

7. The combination, with the grooved needle-plates B B, and the shifters Z, fitted to said grooves, and having lugs Z, provided with projections r, of the rod r, the plates B", and therod a",.removably secured in the plates B, and the sprin O, as sh own and described.

8. The combination, with the plated, pro vided with the aperture 6, of the spacingpiece 0, provided with projections 6, adapted to engage the plate (Z in said aperture, as shown and described.

9. The combination, with the plates B, the rods 'Z, removably secured therein, the sections a, strung upon the rods 1', and theplate P, passing through the sections a into the plates B, of the stationary frame consisting of the end pieces A and joining-bar V, the end pieces A being provided with holes registering with the plate I substantially as shown and described, whereby the plate I? may be supported in the plates B to slide therewith, or the said plate P may be removed through the end pieces A while the plates B are in place.

10. The combination, with the end plates, B, the rods Z, joining them, the plates 1) 0 (Z, riveted together in sections, and having holes 2, 8, and 6 through them, the plate P, passing through the said sections into the plates B, the bottom. pieces, h, and the spacingpieces 6, of the frame comprising the bar \V and the ends A, having holes through which the plate B may be withdrawn, as described.

11. The combination, with the stationary frame described, the plates Z) e (Z, having holes 2, 3, and 6, the bottom pieces, h, and spacingpieces 0, the end plates B and rods 6, the needles P, the shifters Z, and bearing-rod j, of the plate 1?, as and for the purpose specified.

12. The combination, with the grooved needleplates B B, the shifters Z, fitted to said grooves, and having the lugs Z, provided with projections r, of the rod 1- and springs O, substantially as described.

ISAAC XV. LAMB.

\Vitnesses:

FRED. D. Pn'ELPs, 1\f[AY A. PHELPS. 

